WADESBORO – Coming off a demanding three–day tournament, the Anson boys’ basketball team returned to the floor Friday night for its first home game since the Christmas Classic, falling 61-55 in a hard-fought conference matchup against Parkwood.
Despite the loss, the performance showed little sign of a team lacking effort. Anson played with energy and focus throughout the night, applying steady pressure and forcing Parkwood to work for nearly every possession.
“I thought we had the appropriate level of intensity Friday night,” head coach Matt McLeod said. “We were focused and played hard, we just fell a little short.”
The game unfolded at a physical pace, particularly in the first half, where Anson’s defensive effort appeared to wear on Parkwood. Dribbles were disrupted, possessions extended, and the tempo favored Anson’s pressure. However, Parkwood managed to stay in front, capitalizing on key moments and limiting Anson’s ability to fully swing momentum.
Preparation played a major role in keeping the game competitive. According to McLeod, the team executed a detailed scouting report, particularly when it came to limiting Parkwood’s top offensive threat.
“This was a conference game, and the scouting reports are much more detailed than in nonconference play,” McLeod said. “I thought we did a really good job executing the scouting report throughout the game. We didn’t want their best player to get going, and we did a good job on him most of the night.”
While Parkwood appeared highly efficient offensively, the numbers told a different story. The visitors shot just 37 percent from the field and 10 percent from beyond the arc. What ultimately made the difference was not shot making, but second chances.
“I think they seemed more efficient than they actually were,” McLeod siad. “Our initial defense was good, but we gave up too many offensive rebounds, which led to 15 second-chance points.”
Those extra possessions proved costly in a game decided by six points, as Parkwood repeatedly turned missed shots into scoring opportunities. For Anson, rebounding continues to be a point of emphasis, particularly during a stretch where the team has faced several challenges in a short period of time.
The Parkwood game marked Anson’s fourth contest in seven days, including the Christmas Classic tournament where the team finished fourth. After entering the tournament on an eight-game win streak, Anson has now dropped consecutive games, though McLeod emphasized that the team’s mindset has remained steady.
“We were coming off a long week and had lost a couple of games in a row, but our team morale didn’t dip,” he said. “That’s why we were able to play hard.”
Looking ahead, the focus is clear. Rebounding and physicality have been common themes in recent losses, and the team understands what must change to return to the win column.
“In every loss, we’ve lost the rebounding battle,” McLeod said. “We know what we need to fix to get back to our winning ways. We have to win the toughness battle every night.”
While the result didn’t go Anson’s way, the effort and execution on display Friday night suggested a team still very much engaged in the process. As conference play continues, the lessons learned, especially in close physical games, may prove just as important as the final score.